CHARLOTTE, NC/SOUTHFIELD, MI – BASF announced the appointment of two new Senior Vice Presidents to oversee the company’s Dispersions & Pigments business in North America and the BASF Coatings business in North America.

Gerry Podesta has been named BASF’s Senior Vice President for the Dispersions & Pigments business in North America effective November 1. Podesta succeeds Derek Fairclough, who will lead BASF’s Environmental, Health, Safety & Security organization also effective November 1. 

Most recently, Podesta served as the Senior Vice President for BASF’s Performance Materials business in North America since July 1, 2009. He served in a prior role as Group Vice President for the Performance Chemicals business of BASF between 2003 and 2009.

Christopher Toomey, Senior Vice President of Regional Procurement for BASF in North America, will assume responsibility for the BASF Coatings business in North America, effective November 1. He succeeds Juan Carlos Ordoñez, Senior Vice President, who will move to lead the BASF Performance Materials division in Wyandotte, MI.

Before joining BASF in 2011, Toomey worked for Cognis, where he was Vice President and General Manager of Functional Products and Vice President of Human Resources and Communications.